


When Fates Collide

by Aralek



Category: Love & Legends (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 11:00:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18364673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aralek/pseuds/Aralek
Summary: This is an alternative Altea's route, where Kiera (MC) has magic and Altea is nothing more than Kiera's tutor and friend.What if fates collide and Helena and Kiera fall in love in Altea's "dimension"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I'd like to thanks BD99 for her encouragement and her advices. She wrote awesome stories on this site, so if you haven't read her fics, go read them, really.
> 
> This is my first attempt in writing, and English is not my main language, so I'm sorry in advance.  
> Please let me know what you think about this start ;)

Kiera slowly went down the stone steps leading to the prison where Helena had been locked since yesterday. She was feeling bad for the battle mage who had just been abandoned by the woman she loved, but something else was also upsetting her. When Helena had the opportunity to kill her, yet she didn’t do it, she couldn’t do it. No matter what orders the Queen shouted to her, Helena could not bring herself to kill Kiera. This intrigued the black-haired woman, and she wondered now how much Helena was different from the witch who had drained the village peasants' life when she came to this world.

She finally arrived in the long corridor of the prison. There were several cells on each side, all empty except for the last one on the right. The torches hung on the walls weakly illuminated the large room and threw large flickering shadows on the ground. The stagnant air was fresh and constantly had a slight smell of stale.  
Helena was sitting on the wooden bed far too small for her from the back cell, facing the hallway entrance and her eyes closed. Her breathing was slow and steady, as if she was sleeping.

"Come to pity the fallen, Kiera?"

Helena had not opened her eyes yet. How did she guess it was me? Did she see me go down? Thought Kiera. She shook her head, leaving these questions aside and walked down the dimly lit hallway. 

"Not exactly, I wanted to see how you were doing down there"

Helena opened her eyes and turned her ocean blue eyes to the smaller woman. A slight smirk formed on his lips.

"As good as possible given the circumstances, but Ishara might have done better to kill me," she replied with a tortured voice. "Do you know how it feels when our magic is sealed? It is as if a part of you was trapped in your own body, unreachable, almost gone. Who you are is locked away."

Kiera shivered and felt his magic pulsating empathically in her veins. She was just beginning to make progress, and the idea that she was being pulled out of this incredible gift was revolting.

"I'm sorry, but we had no other choice ... As terrible as the loss of your magic must be, it's less terrible than death, right?"

"It does not make any difference, I am only useful to the Witch Queen because of my magic, without it I am nothing but another set of blades, and that she has thousands of"

Yeah, that sucks. Kiera was silent for a moment, then a question passed through his head. She already had a good idea of the answer, but she wanted to hear Helena say it.

"Helena, why didn't you kill me? You had the opportunity, but you did not. Why? "

Helena stiffened on the wooden board and avoided Kiera's gaze. 

"I ... I do not know ... I just could not. My Queen ordered your death, and I ... I did not manage to obey her, to simply take one more life ... " 

Helena smirked.

"After such a failure, she had to think that abandoning me would sign my death warrant or at least enough suffering to serve as a punishment. And she was almost right. "

Kiera crouched near the bars, trying to restore visual contact with the mage. The pain and resignation in Helena’s voice was heartbreaking and despite her previous attacks towards her, Kiera wanted to punch the Witch Queen for doing so much harm to a person who obviously loved her.

"You know, I don’t think you approve the Witch Queen massacres. And I think that's why you didn’t kill me. A part of you didn’t give up and refuses to hurt others, refuses to kill under the orders of a bitch who call herself a queen."

Helena abruptly turned her head towards Kiera at the title. Her eyes were hard, but she said nothing, so Kiera continued.

"You can run away, Helena. Give up the Witch Queen and help us fight her. You can free yourself and not have to kill anymore for fear of being punished. "

The tall woman shook her head sadly.

"No, I cannot, no one can defeat the Witch Queen, not even the death itself, it is only a matter of time before she rules the world and destroys all resistance ... And when she will find, the least painful option will be to die by letting me fall on my own sword ... "

Kiera lowered his head. Since she came in this world, the Witch Queen had almost killed her, and the other retainers three times, including one when she was just back from the dead. There was clearly enough to doubt her fall. Still, Kiera was convinced there was a way to stop her once and for all. She only hoped Helena would get out of the Queen's grasp and help them find it.

"She must have hurt you so much ... I'm so sorry," Kiera finally said.

Helena looked down at her but did not answer. Her gaze no longer contained any hatred or anger against the woman from the other world, only resignation and accepted pain. For the first time, Kiera did not consider Helena as an enemy, but as another witch Queen’s victim. She was wondering how much the woman in front of her had been broken to accept such a fate.

Quick footsteps on the stairs interrupted the two women in their thoughts, and when Altea appeared in the hallway of the prison, Kiera got up. The pink-haired little magician first looked at Kiera, then at Helena, and frowned in depreciation.

"Kiera, we were about to train with the others, would you like to join us? Even with the Witch Queen weakened, we cannot relax too much our vigilance" she said without leaving Helena eyes, as if she was waiting for the prisoner to attack.

Helena, however, had put back her mask of indifference, completely impassive.

"Alright, I’ll be right there," Kiera said the little wizard. Then she turned one last time to Helena.

"Think about it, okay? I'm sure you're better than that. " 

Knowing that she would probably not get an answer, Kiera headed for the exit. Altea followed her quickly after launching a last murderous look at her eternal enemy.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun's rays gently warmed the grassy terrain on which several models and targets were arranged. Kiera breathed some fresh air, happy to be able to aerate a little after her visit to the prison. The other retainers were all already in armor and were warming up while waiting for Kiera and Altea. Kiera had wanted to make a detour in his room to fetch his own armor and weapon, but Altea had replied that it would not be necessary because she wanted to help her to work her magic during training.

"Kiera, it's a pleasure to see that you finally decided to join us" launched Iseul with a small smirk.

"I wasn't going to let you have fun without me," Kiera replied on the same tone.

Without further remarks, the men began to train. They all knew perfectly the strengths and weaknesses of each one, and constantly gave themselves advice to each other. Kiera watched them for a moment and noticed once again how they formed a real family, laughing together, helping and supporting each other. She wondered if Helena had ever known such a friendship with the other generals. Surely not from what she had seen during her brief kidnapping. If the generals were training together, it had to be more like a fight to death than to anything else...

"Hey, Kiera, are you listening to me ?" Kiera returned abruptly to reality to the voice of Altea.

"Wha... Yes, sorry, I had my head somewhere else. What were you saying? "

Altea looked at her with a worried look but said nothing and returned to her explanations.

"I said you threw some effective spells yesterday in the battle, but you still lacked precision. I wish to work on this today, " explained the little wizard.

Kiera nodded quickly and waited for her to continue.

"When you throw a spell, you have to focus on what you expect from it. Not only on its incantation or its power, but also on its goal. An unfocused spell can be as dangerous as a stray arrow and hurt your allies just like your enemies. Also, I'd like you to throw some spells on the targets there. " continued Altea by pointing out the big archeries targets disposed at about fifty meters before them.

The large colored circles painted on them seemed so small from this distance, and Kiera focused on her first spell. The ice magic came to her most naturally and she quickly created her first projectile. Estimating the distance between her and the yellow center of the straw target, she threw her ice spike. The spell missed its goal by a few meters and went crashing against the walls of the castle.

"Take your time before you cast your spell. Remember that magic always responds to an intention, if you focus on its purpose rather than the direction it must take, it will do what you expect of it "

Altea had always been patient with Kiera, and had never reprimanded her when she failed, making her a perfect mentor. The dark-haired woman inhaled deeply and tried again. This time, she focused on the target, imagining her projectile in the center. She threw it.  
The ice spike flew all the way through the training ground and went to the center of its goal.

"Yes!!! You saw that, it hit the nail on the head! "exclaimed Kiera, raising her arms in victory.

Altea smiled widely at her, proud of her friend and apprentice. 

“Excellent! You seem to have understood the technique! " congratulated Altea. 

After some other rather successful throws, Altea left Kiera to continue to train alone and went to join Iseul and Saerys who were trying to repel the coordinated assaults of Reiner and August.  
Kiera continued her throws, first with spikes of ice, then she tried with small fireballs that Altea had taught her to invoke.

She looked at the fire in her hands, blazing cheerfully. Kiera could feel the magic flowing freely into her body to fuel the flames, and she thought back to Helena. Did the Witch Queen teach her how to control her powers like Altea were doing with her? Surely. From what she knew, Helena had joined the Witch Queen while she was still a teenager, and it was unlikely that the blonde already mastered her magic perfectly. Moreover, the Witch Queen would certainly not have given up an opportunity to train herself one of her generals. 

Kiera wondered how it must have been to learn magic in the big ice castle. She had trouble imagining the terrifying Witch Queen giving Helena advice as patiently as Altea did with her. In fact, she imagined her more punishing the mistakes than congratulate the successes. This would also explain why Altea always seemed a little jealous of the perfection of Helena's spells if she had learned to endure pain at every failure.

"KIERA!" 

Altea cried in her direction, and Kiera turned sharply towards her before seeing that her fireball had grown and was now almost half her size. The flames began to lick her clothes, threatening to ignite them.  
Panicked, Kiera attempted to absorb the spell, but barely managed to reduce the ball size by half. She was completely losing control, and her efforts to take it back were only aggravating the situation. She was about to let go when an icy breeze extinguished the flames, leaving only a few volutes of smoke.

Altea and the others rushed to a trembling Kiera. She was panting and covered in sweat, looking like she has done hours of intensive sports. 

"Kiera, what happened?" asked Reiner with a worried tone.

"I... I don’t know, I created a small fireball, I thought of something else and the next moment I lost the control" admit Kiera, a little embarrassed to have almost burned the entire training court.

Reiner threw an anxious look towards Altea who shrugged, not knowing what to add.

"Well, I think that's enough for today anyway, you should go and take some rest," Reiner declared.

August, Saerys and Iseul threw one last anxious look towards Kiera, who smiled at them faintly.

"I’m fine, more fear than harm, a good hot meal and a nap and I will be good as new" 

“With two explosive wizards in the team, I think Solaire will have to hire an assistant in the kitchen " joked Iseul.

The crack dispelled the tension in bursts of laughter, and the retainers headed together towards the Castle. Everyone then went to his apartments, but Altea kept Kiera in the entrance before she could go far. The dark-haired woman raised an interrogating eyebrow, but Altea waited until they were alone before speaking.

"You've never lost so much control of a spell, what happened?" she asked, still worried.

Kiera hesitated. 

"I was thinking back to the discussion I had with Helena," she admitted, preparing for the wrath of Altea.

The little magician, usually so jovial and open, closed herself to the answer. 

"Oh, and what did she tell you, this chienne to distract you so much?" she spat.

Kiera felt uncomfortable. How could she explain to Altea that her enemy of all time might not be the murderous, thirsty witch she knew?

"Not much, but I have the feeling that there is more in it than what we think" 

Altea blew "Oh, I have no doubt that she is worse than what we think" 

Kiera gave him a stern look. "That's not what I meant" she inhale deeply to calm down before continuing "we often fought against the general Klein, she did not stop wanting to kill us. But I think Helena is not as bad as we think. In fact, my discussion with her made me wonder if she ever had any choice but to become a servant of the Witch Queen."

"Really, is that what you think? We are talking about general Klein I remind you, she could make you believe anything to get out of here and return to the feet of her mistress "replied Altea in a dry tone.

"I know" sadly declared Kiera "but... what if that were the case. What if she simply had no choice but to obey on pain of being punished, or worse... I'm not saying it would justify her actions, but wouldn't it be worth trying to rally her to us? “

" Helena Klein? Fighting against the Witch Queen? " Altea laughs without humor. But slammed her next replica before the disappointed and sad look of Kiera.  
"I know you want to see good in people, Kiera, but there are some people who only think about reaching their goals by any means, without worrying about the pain they inflict on others." gently explained Altea "I just don't want to see you suffer when the general Klein will prove to you once again that I am right... "

Kiera nodded, speechless. Altea's reasoning made sense, but a small voice in her head was screaming that she was mistaken. But she had no proof except her instinct and ten minutes of conversation with Helena.  
With a last friendly smile, Altea walked to her quarters, leaving Kiera alone with her battling thoughts.

* * *

   
The next day, Kiera was seating in the bed of the guest room that had been attributed to her and watched through the window the rain tearing down violently on the panes. She lowered her eyes to the heavy volume of the history of the world and its leaders that she had borrowed to learn more about this new universe. But after several hours of reading, her gaze struggled to focus on the words and her brain was begging for a break.  
With a bored sigh, she closed the book with a dry sound and put it on the small table next to the bed before descending to see what the others were doing.

She found Altea unsurprisingly in the library, head dipped in several books that floated around her. The wizard did not notice Kiera arriving until she was close enough to make her jump.

“Kiera! You scared me " 

Kiera laughed a little, it was not the first time she startled her friend when she was too focused to see her coming.

“Sorry. I was just wondering if you would like to take a break. I feel like I'm going to get crazy if I don't distract myself a bit."

Altea looked at her friend with a sorry look.

"I'd love to, but I'm working on a complicated new spell, and I'd like to finish my researches before tonight... But if you find someone else willing, there are card games in the bottom of the room " Altea pointed a small shelf in which were found some basic games like dice and playing cards.

Kiera found a deck closely resembling those of her world and wished good luck to Altea with her new spell before going on a quest for a playmate.  
Unfortunately, August was busy polishing his armor, Saerys was plunged into a book about the history of sirens and fairies, Iseul was taking a nap and Reiner was reading the villagers' last requests.  
Kiera was about to get back in her room when an idea came to her, and she turned back towards the kitchens.  
Solaire was cooking some biscuits, and smiled at Kiera when she saw her coming in.

"Lady Kiera, what do I owe this pleasure?"

Kiera smiled at Solaire "it's just Kiera, I'm far from being a lady" she reminded her even if she knew that Solaire would continue anyway. "Actually, I just came to know if I could steal a plate of cookies" 

Solaire smiled wider, happy to see that her cooking attracted people even between meals.

"Of course, I just finished a batch, I was planning to offer some to everyone anyway" said Solaire, already preparing a plate.

Kiera went out of the kitchen with a dozen biscuit and her card game and walked to the dungeon.

* * *

Helena raised her head to the sound of the opening of the door, surprised to hear someone come down just a few hours after being brought her last meal. She did not know what she was expecting, but surely it was not Kiera with a plate in her hands. 

"Good afternoon Kiera. What news from the outside world? "

"It's raining cats and dogs, a real flood. Everyone is busy except me, and you have to get bored too, so I thought we could play a card game, "Kiera replied.

Helena said nothing, shocked to hear that Kiera wanted to spend time with her. Even if the others were busy, there had to be dozens of other activities, and yet Kiera was there, proposing to play with her as if they were friends.  
Kiera noticed the silence of the Mage, and suddenly wondered if all this was a good idea.

"But... If you don’t want to play, it’s no big deal, I can go back to ask Solaire or someone else "

"No, I am just... I was not expecting that, but I would be delighted to spend time with you" replied Helena with a hesitant smile.

At the answer, Kiera sat happily on the surprisingly clean stone floor in front of Helena and began distributing the cards. 

"This game is called Rami, it is a very well-known game of my world. Every time one of us wins a round, she can eat a cookie, "Kiera explained.

She spent a few minutes explaining the rules, then Helena and she began their first game. The room was not very well lit, but the torch on the wall just behind them offered enough light to allow them to see their cards. Helena lost the first round and watched Kiera devour her first award. Once the cookie disappeared in the belly of the American, Helena relaxed visibly.

"You know, it reminds me of the evenings I spent with my best friend Sophie in my world," says Kiera distributing the cards once again "when we had nothing to do on the weekends and it was raining like today, we spent hours playing together. I often beat her, and she kept accusing me of cheating, "she continued by drawing a card before putting down three trios.

"Do you miss your world?" asked Helena.

Kiera was surprised, Helena had hardly said anything since the beginning of the game. She quickly pulled herself together and continued with a voice tinged with nostalgia.

"A little. I've spent practically my whole life in Chicago, so, in a way, it's still a bit at home. But I spent so much time in this castle with the other retainers that they became a second family to me. The only person I really miss is Sophie "

"Why did you not stay there? When you went back with Altea, why did you not choose the safety of your world rather than return to this one? "asked Helena, stopping to play for a moment to watch Kiera in the eye.

No malice or hidden intention reflected in the blue eyes of the Mage, only curiosity and something deeper than Kiera could not detect. She looked at her cards and sighed lightly. She had often asked herself this question, why did she come back to participate in a war when she had nothing of a soldier. She knew it was the right thing to do but was it worth risking her life when the others had already succeeded in triumphant the first time without having her sticking around. 

"I came back because I couldn't let someone like the Witch Queen dominate the world. No one deserves to suffer her cruelty, and in a way, it is also because of me that she came back to sow the disorder, so the least I can do is to make sure that she returns to her place in Hell and that she never come back to hurt people again "

Kiera shook her head after losing the second round in a row. Helena on her side, now seemed to win without difficulty and watched Kiera often when she spoke. The Mage was troubled by the words of the other woman. A small part of her wanted to defend the honor of her Queen, as she used to do so, but on the other hand, Kiera was not completely wrong about her doppelganger.

"And then, despite the war, I feel as if I were in my place here in this world. Life is more exciting, and I don’t know what tomorrow will be. Unlike in Chicago, where I spent my time doing a boring job in a small office or looking for this kind of job, without doing anything more dangerous than crossing the road on red..." continued Kiera.

Helena looked weirdly at Kiera at the unusual words of the American but rejected the question she was going to ask.  
The Mage was eating her third cookie, and Kiera began to realize that she was losing.

"Did you play a lot of card games at the witch Queen's Castle or when you were younger?"

The question of Kiera took Helena by surprise, she did not expect to be asked a personal question.

"There is not much room for the games at the Castle" she declared in a low voice 

A silence followed without the two stop their game. Kiera was about to tell another story from her world to fill the void when Helena's nostalgic voice stopped her.

"But there was a man I played a lot with when I was a little girl. His name was Keeran. He was one of the elders of the village in which I grew up, and since we could not help others in the fields because of our ages, we entertained each other. He was always very kind to me, and I considered him as a father. Almost every week, he taught me a new game, and we played until I beat him. Then he congratulated me and offered me some biscuits that he cooked for the other kids and me."

Helena lost herself in her memories without looking away from her cards. Kiera, however, had almost forgotten the game and relied on her reflex to choose the cards to put down or discard as she was attentive to Helena's story. 

"He always said that I learned very quickly and that I would one day become one of the greatest people in this world. He died a year after I was old enough to help other members of my village to plow the lands. I felt like I was losing my father a second time that day "

Helena went silent. It was Kiera's turn to play but she was too stunned to see Helena talking about her past to worry about her cards. Who would have guessed that the mighty witch sitting in front of her had once been a young peasant playing cards with an old man?

"I'm sorry" was the only words Kiera found before Helena's sad and nostalgic look. 

She stretched her arm through the bars to tighten the Mage's arm in a silent consolation. Her skin was cold, but soft and Kiera felt Helena stiffen.

The Mage was both shocked and touched by the affection, her eyes wide open, her mouth slightly parted and a slight redness rising on her cheeks. Wow, she's hot, thought Kiera before she mentally reprimanded herself. Helena was surprised by a simple gesture of affection and that was her first thought? Kiera, you useless bi !

She withdrew her hand after a last squeeze and continued to play and started telling another story about her and Sophie in order to lighten the tension.

An hour later, the plate of cookies was empty, mostly because of Helena, and the Mage listened attentively to Kiera telling how she had found herself trying to put a diaper on a squirrel to win a challenge that Sophie had launched.  
A polite throat scraping from the corridor surprised them both. Altea stood there, and strangely seemed embarrassed to interrupt them. In fact, the little wizard was feeling like she was attending an unimaginable scene: Helena smiled. It was not an evil smile that she wore just before she killed, nor the cruel rictus she had every time she succeeded in taking advantage over Altea. No, it was a real warm and almost friendly smile. She did not know why, but this simple smile towards Kiera turned something around in Altea that she could not identify.

"Kiera, dinner is ready, would you come to join us?" asked Altea with hesitation.

Kiera looked at Helena before answering. The taller woman smiled faintly at her one last time before getting up.

"I think you should go," she said, "thank you for coming to keep me company" 

"my pleasure" replied Kiera softly, then she rose in turn to go out after picking up the cards.

Altea hesitated a moment before following her friend, not knowing what to do with what just happened before her eyes. She shook her head, pushing back her questions later and climbed the stairs to join the other retainers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter  
> Thanks again to my beta reader BD99, you're the best ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Kiera was taken from her sleep by the singing of the birds and the gentle sunlight tickling her cheeks. She utted a little sleepy grunt, disappointed to have been pulled out of her dream and lazily opened an eye. Everything was quiet and only the noises of nature outside came to disturb the silence of her room.  
She rolled on her back and threw her arms behind her head. She rarely had the opportunity to enjoy quiet mornings like this, so she decided to make the most of this little moment of peace and left her thoughts drifting.

She thought back about the card game of the day before, in the dungeon. She still could not believe that she had played with Helena Klein, the same woman who had threatened her since her arrival in this world. The one who had repeatedly put a weapon under her throat, ready to her at the slightest movement.  
And yet, Kiera had played with her as if she were a friend. And the strangest thing is that it felt right.  
Kiera had loved to see the tall woman smile at her stories; she had loved to see Helena’s eyes twinkle every time she won a game. More than anything, she had loved to hear Helena tell her childhood memories. It was not much but this mere confession on her past had softened the heart of Kiera, and she could not help wondering how Helena had been in her youth. How had she gone from a peasant girl to the feared General Klein. 

Kiera sighed. Whatever the answer was, she doubted it was very happy. She tried ignore the thousand and one ways to break a woman that her imagination found.  
Kiera drove away these dark ideas by rising, ready to join the others for breakfast.

She opened the large chest at the feet of her bed and pulled out trousers and a simple tunic that she put on quickly. It took her a few days to adapt to the medieval clothes, but after almost three months she knew perfectly how to tighten every lace and adjust every buckle. She spent a few minutes in front of the mirror to remove the hints of sleep from her face, and after a final glance at her reflection, she walked to the dining room.

* * *

All the retainers were already seated and had begun to eat when Kiera entered the room. Reiner noticed the first her arrival and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning Kiera"

“Hi. I'm sorry, I’ve let myself being tempted by a greasy morning." she replied, sitting next to Altea.

"Ah, finally a woman who recognizes the virtues of a long restful sleep" declared Iseul with a dramatic tone.

"Totally agree. But don't worry, Iseul, I'm not trying to steal your place as a grandmaster in this field " 

Kiera spread butter on a slice of bread before launching a more productive subject.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"We should plan our next move. The Witch Queen may be weakened, but it doesn’t mean she’s harmless. She can launch an attack anytime" replied August with his usual fire. Saerys nodded.

"I agree, we cannot afford to be trapped once again. I doubt that she keeps us in decoration a second time if she manages to take over the castle."

Reiner frowned with indecision 

"You're right Saerys, but on the other hand, we also can't afford to act and risk falling into an ambush. We have no idea of her plans, and I don't want to make a move before I have a hint about her intentions."

Reiner felt silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons between acting or staying low? He sighed and shook his head. 

"The best thing would be to send a scout to the Queen's Witch's Castle, hoping they could tell us if the Generals are on the defensive or preparing to go to war. This way we would have at least one indication on the Witch Queen’s status. We will discuss about this in more detail after lunch, I was planning to go see the General Klein this morning. "

Reiner's attention landed on Kiera, who seemed even more attentive to his words 

"I saw you went down once or twice in the dungeons Kiera. Would our prisoner have begun to repent?"

August took an unpleasant air 

“Repent? My Lord, I highly doubt this witch can do so. She must more probably be looking for a way to cause us harm or escape."

Reiner silenced him with a raised hand 

"I am aware of that, but none of you have gone to see her recently except Kiera, and I would like to hear what she has to say"

The dark-haired woman hesitated for a moment, before the eyes of other retainers. He had not said anything but Saerys seemed to have the same opinion as August, and even Iseul had a more severe look than usual. Only Altea seemed uncertain.

"I don't know... She feels abandoned, and she doesn't seem to look forward to returning to the Witch Queen. But I can't say she won’t directly go to her if she was given the opportunity... "

Reiner opened his mouth to speak when a warhorn rang from the outside and surprised everyone at the table.

"An attack now? But we are in the middle of the day, they don’t have the advantage! "exclaimed Kiera

"Sometimes the only surprise is enough" replied Reiner "go equip yourself, meet me in front of the doors, we must not let them in!"

Everyone executed the strong command. Kiera ran to put on her armor over her clothes and took her sword. Unlike Altea and Helena, she had a heavy armor, in order to protect herself better in close combat when she could no longer rely only on her magic. It took her a moment to put it on, but she quickly found the other retainers front of the main door.

Magnus, Lennox and a few battalions of soldiers quickly advanced towards them with determination and fury. There are many, but we have faced worse thought Kiera.

"Iseul, Saerys, you go for Lennox. August and I will take Magnus. Altea, Kiera, the other soldiers must not enter the castle! "Reiner ordered

The retainers had barely time to understand the instructions of their lord before a mass of soldiers rushed to pass the large stone gate which grid had not been able to be lowered in time.

August charged the first, sending swings after swings against Magnus while Reiner was sending bolts from afar. On his side, Saerys dodged Lennox's knives and was constantly looking for an opening to kick a punch or give have a good shot angle to Iseul.  
The courtyard of the Castle quickly transformed into a battlefield, and Altea pulled Kiera away from the others.

"I handle the lone groups, you make sure that no soldiers attack the others by surprise, alright?"

With a nod, Kiera focused her attention on the soldiers around Magnus and Lennox while Altea levitated above her, igniting every man's group of the Witch Queen that was trying to pass.  
Behind Magnus, Kiera spotted an archer looking for an opening to shoot down August. Oh no buddy, don’t even think about it Kiera focused and easily invoked a pike of ice in her hands. Recalling her training sessions with Altea, she threw the spike that went to break the attacker's bow.

"Nice work Kiera, keep it that way!" Altea threw a smile of pride from the air before launching another fireball.

The dark-haired woman earned more confidence in every spell. One, two, three, four. She started to disarm soldiers easier and easier, burning the ropes of bows and crossbow, or covering swords with a thick layer of ice. Seven, eight, nine... Ten. She sometimes sent compact ice balls crashing against the attackers' temples and knock out a handful of men. Thirteen, fourteen... Fifteen... Sixteen... Despite his successes, Kiera quickly felt the exhaustion and her magic weakened with every spell. Large drops of sweat were flowing from her forehead, and her was breathing heavily with effort. 

The magic is like a muscle, had told her Altea, and indeed, she felt like running a marathon. Half of the Witch Queen's men were ashore or disarmed, and Kiera allowed herself a moment to catch her breath. Magnus was on the defensive and dodged Reiner's traits or countered the sword of August without risking attacking them directly. Lennox was also in a bad position and regularly used the soldiers near him as human shields against Saerys and Iseul assaults while trying to pick up his daggers scattered around him.

"Hurry, hurry, she must be in the dungeons!"

Kiera turned sharply at the sound to glimpse several soldiers sneaking through a small door used by the servants, hidden in the left wall of the Castle. Above her, Altea was still busy keeping the other attackers at bay, and no one else seemed to have notice the men and dwarves in blue armor.  
Too tired to still be useful on the battlefield, Kiera hurried to follow the Witch Queen’s men, hoping at least to discover their intentions.

The leader of the band seemed to know the Castle very well and walked without hesitation through the ornated corridors to arrive quickly in front of the door leading to the staircase of the Dungeon. He grabbed the keyring that was hung on the wall and unlocked the heavy door before descending the steps followed by his four companions. Kiera tried to follow them as quietly as possible and grimaced every time her armor betrayed her in a metallic noise. Fortunately for her, the soldiers were too focused on their goal to notice that they were being followed. 

The light was getting weaker, forcing her to squint to properly descend the steps and avoid slipping. On the other hand, her black armor hid her more effectively in the dark.  
The men quickly came to the rows of cells and rushed to Helena's. Kiera remained in the staircase, hidden in the shadows to observe the scene without being seen. She didn't really think of a plan of action when going down here, and as no one had seen her leave the Court, she hoped to prevent Helena from escaping without risking her life.

Helena immediately raised from her seated position on her makeshift bed when she heard the footsteps approaching her cell. Even from where she was, Kiera could see the Mage instinctively stiffen in a defensive position and step back slightly from the bars.

"General Klein"

The captain approached the bars, but contrary to Kiera's thought, he did not seem to be here to free the mage. In fact, his murderous gaze leaded her to think the opposite...

"I see," Helena said, 

"Is this the Witch Queen’s will, or that of the other Generals ?"

"The Witch Queen has declared you a traitor, we have orders to bring back your head. We can't afford to let you reveal her secrets" the Captain and his men watched her with a predatory smile.

Kiera stiffened from her hiding place. Not only did the Witch Queen abandon Helena, but she wanted to make sure she remains silent by having her killed. She felt sorry for Helena for being betrayed by the woman she loved, but most importantly, she was now worried about her. The mage was alone, unarmed and with her magic sealed against five bloodthirsty goons with weapons and armor and only the bars of the cell was preventing them from lunging at her.

“Oh. Of course. But if you expect me to give you my head without resistance, you are sorely mistaken. Come in here, let us see if some poor little converted farmers like you would be able to land even a single blow on one of the most powerful Witch Queen’s Generals. I wonder how long you will survive"

The soldiers hesitated, their eyes suddenly losing their fury before the icy rictus of the tall woman in front of them. Kiera wondered how much Helena was bluffing. She was a good fighter, that’s for sure, but she had no sword, no magic, nor protection of any kind. However, the American had never seen Helena fighting with her bare hand, and knowing the mage, she would not be surprised to see her defeat the five soldiers if they had the courage to attack her. Of course, this would also allow her to escape easily, but given her exhaustion, Kiera thought it would be easier to trap Helena in a last spell of ice to stop her than to fight five armed men alone.

The sound of the keyring stopped her in her thoughts and Kiera focused on the scene. The soldiers apparently decided to fight the General Klein. Kiera hesitated between staying in the shadows or attempting to prevent them from entering the cell, but the genuine terror in Helena's eyes made the choice for her. The mage knew she could not win the fight and seeing her in such state of vulnerability struck something in Kiera’s heart. 

"AAAAHHHH"

Pushed by her instinct that yelled at her to protect the great woman, Kiera ran towards the soldiers, ignoring any exhaustion. Thanks to the surprise effect, she managed to put two of the men out of battle before the others recovered and went on her. 

The first goon launched an attack on her right flank that Kiera countered easily with her sword. She pushed back the weapon of her opponent and punched him with her armored fist hard enough to knock him out. It wasn’t very loyal, but it was the last thing that mattered to her right now. 

"Kiera, behind you!"

Despite Helena's warning, the American did not bend in time and a violent blow in her back took her by surprise, sending her flying a meter farther. A second soldier had managed to sneak behind her while she was fighting the first and was twirling a flail over his head. Kiera rolled on the side just in time to avoid having her skull smashed.  
The man straightened up and prepared a second shot before she had time to get up. Panicked, she drew in her last reserves of magic to surround her attacker’s weapon and arm with a thick layer of ice. He lost his balance and fell back under the weight and momentum of his weapon and his head hit hard the stone floor of the prison, causing him to lose consciousness. 

Kiera rose as quickly as possible, looking for the last man and her jaw dropped when she found him. Helena had passed her arms through the gaps in the cell and was holding the dwarf's neck a way that Kiera had seen many times in action movies. 

"Hey, no, don't kill him!" 

The dwarf struggled, trying to get out of her grip, but he failed miserably. Helena lifted her eyes towards Kiera, anger and pain almost alive in her eyes. They tried to kill her; they have to die she has to kill him. But the supplication in Kiera's eyes weakened her determination.

"Please Helena. You don't have to do this, you can prove that you’re not only what the Queen has made of you, that you are better than that."

Kiera moved slowly towards her, a hand lifted as we would approach an injured animal and her sword back, encouraging her and showing in every way possible that she did not want to harm her. She stopped just out of reach of the dwarf, still staring at Helena. A moment passed, as if frozen in time, each woman lost in the other’s eyes. Then Helena sighed with defeat and closed her eyes. She lowered her arms around the dwarf's neck, suffocating him until he passes out.  
Kiera offered her most caring smile to the mage, proud to see her turn away from the murder and she rushed to her.

"Are you okay, are you hurt?" she asked, looking for wounds on the tall woman’s body. 

Helena lifted her right arm. The once blue handle was now red on her forearm. 

"He had a knife in his belt, and I did not disarm him in time, but other than that, I am fine." 

Her voice was neutral, as if a knife cut was nothing more than a little discomfort, but her eyes betrayed her pain.  
Kiera's spirit revolted at the sight of the wound. For some reasons she didn’t have time to analyze, the idea of seeing Helena wounded hurt her almost physically and put her in a deep state of anger against those who dared to raise a weapon against her.  
A powerful explosion over them shook the entire Castle, and some dust fell from the ceiling throughout the prison.

"I have to go back up there, it seems they need help"

Kiera looked one last time at Helena's arm, now plated against her body, then at the unconscious soldiers around her. Finally, it might not be a good idea to leave until I put them in a cell.

"Worry not, they will surely not wake up before a while. "

Kiera looked at Helena, stunned. It was as if the Mage had read in his thoughts. She shook her head and came back to the present.

"Are you sure you’ll be okay?" asked the American still worried.

Helena smiled lightly.

"I promise not to kill them if that is what worries you. Please, be very careful up there Kiera "

Kiera did not fear that Helena would kill the goons, but she did not have time to tell her because her heart was melting at the serious and sincere look of the mage, and she couldn’t help but smiling warmly.

“Promised”

Then without more words, she returned to help others on the battlefield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter, hope you liked it ;)
> 
> A special thanks to my beta reader BD99 for her time ^^


	4. Heal the wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is finally the long awaited Chapter 4! I'm really sorry it took me so long to publish it, Mark (my laptop) was not very cooperative and I had to reformat him completely to translate this chapter. I hope to catch up by publishing Chapter five by next Saturday. With that, good reading ;)

The bright light of the day blinded Kiera for a few moments when she reentered the courtyard. Once her eyes were accustomed to the light, she noticed that only a dozen of the Witch Queen soldiers were still standing. The others were either ashore or on the run. The remains of a calcined catapult laid several hundred meters away from the courtyard, but a few holes in the wall of the enclosure showed that it had had the time to serve before it was destroyed.

"Wow, they're really not joking with betrayals!"

Lennox was nowhere to be seen, and the few goons brave or foolish enough to continue to fight were being swept away by Altea and Iseul. For their part, the other retainers were focusing their efforts on a Magnus who was trying very hard to keep pace. With a large stroke of axe, he managed to keep August and Saerys away long enough to notice Kiera's return. And not that of his men. Anger invaded the features of his face and his dissuasive blows were now more enraged as he slowly moved back to the door.

"Retreat! We're pulling out! "

Despite his heavy armor and his imposing weapon, he was fast enough to escape the last attacks of his opponents and managed to flee with the few men he had left. Soon it remained only the retainers and inanimate bodies of the fallen soldiers in the courtyard.

"Very nice work everyone, I am once again happy to have you by my side to defend this castle as we have done today. Well done." Reiner congratulated his friends by offering them a slight, full of pride, paternal smile.

"Thank you, my Lord. But we managed to repel them without knowing the reason for their attack. They were not many enough to take the castle, and Magnus should have known that" noticed August

"You are right, the Witch Queen would never have sacrificed men without specific purpose." replied Reiner

"They had come for Helena" intervened Kiera.

The expression of August and the other retainers darkened in an instant.

"I knew it! She must have planned this from the beginning! This damned General Klein may have even deliberately let herself be captured to attack us from the inside! My Lord, there is still time to kill her as we should have done from the beginning!" August exclaimed boldly.

"It’s the reason why they attacked us" Kiera calmly explained

"The Witch Queen ordered Helena’s death, Magnus and Lennox were instructed to bring her head to her"

An incredulous silence fell upon the courtyard. Around Kiera, the expression of retainers varied from dubitative to sorry.

"I don’t doubt your words, but how do you know it?" asked Altea

"Because I followed a group of soldiers who had sneaked into the dungeon. I heard them say the Witch Queen had declared Helena as a traitor and I narrowly prevented them from killing her."

Altea said nothing. In some ways, she was sadistically happy to see Helena suffer, but on the other hand, it seemed unfair to her to see how the Witch Queen treated one of her most loyal servants.

"Well, I will send guards to lock up the soldiers who are still alive and bury the dead. You should go and rest, it has been a rough morning. "

Altea approached her apprentice, a sympathetic smile had replaced the sadness and anger on her face.

"You fought very well today. I had observed some of your spells and you have undeniably improved yourself"

Kiera smiled proudly at the compliment. She had been quite a long way from the day she discovered her powers. She remembered when she had stopped the fall of a beautiful porcelain vase that she had inadvertently spilled. She had wrapped the object in a large block of ice and fainted just after. Ironically, it had convinced Altea that she was not the Witch Queen. No master of magic collapses after throwing such a simple spell had she said in a laugh. Since that day, Altea and Kiera had been practicing together to enable her to control and handle her gift.

"Thanks, it's mostly because of you that I can throw more than one spell before dropping like a rock" smiled Kiera.

Altea smiled back.

"How about a well-deserved tea? I know that Solaire has a particularly special one that prevents migraines, which was a great relief after battles like these during the first war. Exhausting our magic in a fight gives the impression of having sore mind muscles."

Kiera was tempted by the proposal. She had used her magic a lot this morning and having tea with Altea would avoid much inconvenience the next day.

"Maybe this afternoon. I would like to take care of something else first "heard herself told Kiera.

Tea could be drunk later, for now, she had other priorities. Without trying to explain herself to Altea’s surprised face, she walked to the long corridor lined with red to the left of the entrance and didn’t stop until she reached her destination.

* * *

Kiera walked down the steps carefully, making sure not to spill the little basin and the kit she held in her hands. When she arrived at the bottom of the stair, she noticed that the goons of the Witch Queen had already been taken away, which did not surprise her. Reiner had probably asked his men to take care of them as a priority to make sure they did not regain consciousness and finish what they had come to do. She looked up at the cell at the bottom right.

Helena was standing there, her slender fingers wrapped around the bars, as if she were waiting for her. In fact, that was the case. Although Kiera had removed her armor, the sharp ears of the mage had instantly recognized the light and regular steps, and the slight smile that had made its way on her lips had almost frozen the American on the spot. She didn’t expect to see so much affection shine in Helena's eyes and thus illuminate her face and Kiera’s entire body answered the call of this deadly siren.

"Kiera, I did not expect to see you again so soon. I take it that my fervent generals have sounded the retreat "

"Indeed, Magnus took his men off just after seeing me go out" replied Kiera trying to ignore her body’s and mind’s reactions to the gentle smile of the mage.

"Then what do I owe the pleasure of your visit to?" Helena made a gesture towards the bowl of water and the kit that Kiera was holding.

Kiera opened the kit and revealed bandages, cotton and other first aid products.

"I told myself that Reiner's healers would not take priority in the dungeons, and your arm needs to be cleaned and bandaged" explained Kiera, attempting not to let her hesitation show in her voice.

Helena didn’t try to hide her surprise. No one had ever come to heal her wounds. Not even HER. Helena had always bandaged her own injuries in solitude, and often in shame. Yet there stood Kiera before her; offering her help as if it were nothing. As if it was the normal thing to do.

"Are you not afraid I will attempt to escape?"

"Honestly, I think you would already be out if you wanted to do so. But anyway, I'm willing to take the bet and trust you not to try."

It was true. Deep inside her, Kiera knew the mage wouldn’t attempt to attack her or steal the keys. Of course, as she mistrusted this dangerous instinct, she had concealed a thin dagger in her clothes. The sheath of the weapon was strapped along her right thigh, hidden by the pleats of the loose trousers, and a hole in the pocket allowed Kiera to quickly get the blade out if needed.

Helena walked away from the door to sit on the small straw-padded wooden bed. She was always shocked by the kindness and the confidence that Kiera showed towards her but said nothing. Instead, she waited patiently for her visitor to lock the door behind her and settle on her left with the tub and the kit on the bed.

"Let me see your arm please" Kiera requested gently.

Helena shuddered involuntarily at the contact. Kiera's hands were gentle against her skin, slowly raising the blood-soaked sleeve, taking care not to touch the superficial notch that ran along her forearm. They were so different from the hard and frosty hands of her Queen and her sharp fingernails that bit her skin every time she was teaching her self-control or losing herself to the throes of pleasure.

"I don't think there's any need for stitches. A bandage should be enough, but the wound should be cleaned to avoid any infections" thought Kiera out loud.

Like what, following a first aid internship will not have been completely useless, especially by adding the few tricks August taught her to heal war wounds, thought Kiera.

She dipped a piece of tissue from the kit into lukewarm water and began to clean the dried blood off of Helena's arm. At each passage, Helena's soft but cold skin appeared more clearly beneath the red layer. Kiera was trying to stay focused on her task, but it was difficult to ignore the presence next to her. She had to admit it, she was irrationally attracted to Helena. Or at least by what she thought she saw in Helena.

She directed the fabric higher towards the bend of the elbow, and that was when she felt how tense Helena was. The discreet but strong muscles of the Mage were struggling to remain relaxed despite her slow and calm breathing.

"I wanted to thank you for this morning" Kiera began softly in order to break the silence, and also because she needed to forget Helena's disturbing closeness.

"For not killing the soldier"

Helena kept her eyes on Kiera's hands, that ended to rub the last traces of coagulated blood around the wound.

"He was here to kill me. SHE ordered him to kill me" the voice of Helena was broken, as if trying to retain the immense flood of emotions this realization provoked.

"After all these years of murdering in her name and executing every one of her orders without questioning them... and in an instant, all this means nothing anymore, she declares me as a traitor and sends her dogs to finish me as one would put to death an injured horse become useless for a war."

Rage and pain were burning in Helena's eyes, forming tears that she tried with difficulty to prevent sinking. The first drop that Kiera saw rolling on her pale cheek was like a spike in her heart, and without thinking she raised her hand and gently wiped the damp trace. She let her thumb gently stroking the cheekbone in a silent comfort.

"I'm sorry..." was all Kiera managed to say.

Helena looked at her strangely, as if she saw her for the first time.

"How can you be so much like her, and yet be so different? Be gentle when she would have punished. Be compassionate when she would have added insult to injury. It is something I will always fail to understand. Someone as good as you should not deserve to be the object of her anger. "

"No one deserves it, not even you Helena," replied Kiera by gently squeezing the larger hand in hers and plunging her gaze into Helena's.

"After all the pain you have been forced to cause in her name, out of fear or love, you do not deserve to be treated that way" Kiera concluded before she went silent and began to wrap Helena's arm with a long bandage, taking care not to tighten it too much.

"It is strange to think that you keep trying to save me despite all the harm I have caused to you and your friends."

"I didn’t beg Ishara and Reiner to spare your life just to let you die under the Witch Queen’s orders, Helena. I really meant it when I told you I believe you can change, free yourself from her grip. I will not let anything happen to you until you have proven that I am right "

Or wrong... but that, she dared not say it aloud.

Helena closed her eyes and let her tears flowing freely. Strangely, she was feeling safe with Kiera so close to her, and didn’t feel the need to hide from the world for the time to get used to her new emotional wounds.

Even after she finished the bandage, Kiera remained beside Helena, gently squeezing her hand in silent support.

* * *

The prison was quiet. Without the faint light of the torches that had been extinguished for the night, the room was plunged into darkness.

Helena slept in a fitful sleep on her little bed, trembling and moaning in her nightmare. She did not hear the clapping of heels that resonated in the staircase, beating the slow and steady rhythm of a clock counting the last seconds of a convicted man. An icy air spread through the prison as the sound approached. On the ground and on the walls, small crystals of ice covered a little more the stone with each step.

Helena woke up trembling, feeling that something was wrong. It was way too cold, even for a night in prison. She sat and folded her eyes to try to see something, but the darkness surrounded her from all sides.

"Good evening, my little light."

Helena’s eyes widened with terror at the voice. Her muscles stiffed, refusing to obey the primal instincts that shouted at them to flee, for the Queen's lessons had taught them too well the pain that would follow this act of rebellion.

An orb of blue light revealed the presence of the Witch Queen right in front of Helena. The small sphere floated just below the face of the little woman, giving her traits an appearance more cadaveric and eviler than ever.

"It seems that my faithful generals have failed to get rid of a defenseless traitor. But I should have known. After all, as they say, when you want the job to be done well, you can only count on yourself, don't you? "

The Witch Queen advanced slowly towards a paralyzed Helena. Her imposing magic radiant crown, her impeccable blue robe and her detached expression gave him her very regal and dominant look, as if she possessed the room and everything in it.

"And I wouldn't have to deprive myself the pleasure of teaching you one last time how dangerous it is to betray ME! "

Helena did not move when a frozen hand caressed her cheek. Fear drummed in her veins, and she tried to prepare for the torture that was to follow. No one would come to save her this time, no one could.

The sharp nails of the Witch Queen sank into her neck, pinning Helena's tall body to the wall while she was still seated. In a vain and foolish hope, she attempted to shout, to call for help, but the Queen's grip tightened, preventing the air from entering or leaving her lungs.

"T-t-t. No no, you little traitor, I won't let your pretty little voice call anyone "

A black cloud surrounded Helena's throat, causing an excruciating pain that she could only express by struggling and by the traits on her face. The hand withdrew, but Helena still could not scream her suffering. Her voice was no longer hers.

In front of her, the Witch Queen was enjoying the view, fully smiling at the terrorized gaze of her former apprentice. She summoned a long silver dagger adorned with blue in her left hand and slid it along Helena's cheek.

"Well, well, well, where are we going to start?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was worth the wait.
> 
> I would like to use this update to thank once again BD99 who seems to have an impressive faith in me.  
> And I also encourage you to go and see the work of TheDyslexicFaerie, a writer who recently made their debut in writing. Their first two fics _[Du bist die Liebe meines Lebens](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18547633)_ and _[Made For Peace](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18631918)_ were excellent and they pursued on a larger project: _[I Will Always Find You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18653746)_ which is absolutely amazing and I'm looking forward to the next chapter.  
> So if you haven't had the opportunity to read them yet, go ahead! Now!


	5. Chapter 5

"HELENAAA, NOOOOOOO!!!"

Kiera straightened up sharply and her scream echoed in the dark room. Her maddened gaze ran through the darkness, desperately seeking Helena. She summoned a small fireball in her hand to see more clearly, but the flames almost exploded to her face, roaring to the rhythm of her heartbeat. Once stabilized, they removed the veil of darkness that was covering the familiar shapes of the guest room. Kiera instantly calmed down to the realization and her heavy and jerky breathing slowly returned to normal.

She took deep breaths and let her eyes run across the decor of her room to reassure herself. The sun had not enough power yet to pierce through the gaps between the thick velvet curtains that hid the large and unique window. In front of her, Kiera could see the flames dancing in the reflection of her armor hanging on a wooden dummy and in the mirror next to it. The varnish of some decorative paintings was gliming softly, small sparks covering the mountains and forests they represented.

Kiera sighed with relief in front of the nocturnal quiet of the room and leaned back against the fluffy pillows. The memories of her dream... No, her nightmare made her tremble. Everything had seemed so real. She was still shivering from the icy air that preceded the steps of the Witch Queen. Her eyes still returned flashes of the sterile blue light which had lit up the livid face and made her even more terrifying. But Kiera mainly remembered the terror on Helena's face, her eyes wide open and the expression of pain on her face. 

What if it was an omen? Or worse, a vision of the present?

The panic quickly resettled into Kiera's chest. Oh no, she couldn't leave Helena in the hands of that psycho bitch! She didn’t waste a single moment, getting her clothes on in record time. She had no time to take her armor, but she took her cloak hoping that its thickness would be enough to avoid at least some damages if she were to fight the Witch Queen. As she should rely on her agility more than her strength, she also preferred to equip herself with a short sword hung to her belt and her dagger attached to her thigh rather than taking her two-handed sword.

Once ready, Kiera slipped at full speed into the empty corridors of the castle weakly lit by the grey pre-dawn, trying to keep her fast running as quiet as possible. All her thoughts were focused on one goal: protecting Helena. She knew there were almost no chances that the Witch Queen would be in the dungeon now, that she would never have been able to pass the doors without anyone sounding the alarm. But Kiera began to understand that logic lost its meaning when it came to Helena. When she arrived at the stairs barely breaking a sweat, she made a mental note to thank August for pushing her to take the warm-ups very seriously. The sight of the keyring hung at the nail near the door did little to appease her worries, someone like the witch Queen had to laugh of the sturdier locks.

Kiera gulped before firmly grasping the keys and opening the door leading to the stairs. In her haste she had not thought to warn others, and now, as she advanced groped down the stairs leading to what could be a deadly trap, Kiera suddenly felt foolish not to have at least found a guard to accompany her.

She stopped when her hands found the iron gate that announced the arrival in the main room of the prison. The door was closed. Kiera held her breath and concentrated on her senses other than the view. The air was always humid and fresh, but nothing compared to the icy temperature she remembered. No noise disturbed the silence of the room except for the faint echo of slow and steady breathing in the distance. Everything seemed normal.

Slightly comforted by this first analysis, Kiera took a deep breath before invoking her little fireball again. A faint red and golden light, like the one found in inns while the dying fire keeps company to the few sleepy travelers in their chair, cleared the whole prison. The soft, moving glow had a soothing effect on Kiera's nerves, but the great shadows it created also offered an effective hiding place for dangers and evil.

The American girl opened the door as quietly as possible, slightly grimacing at the small squeals the rust caused. As soon as the opening was large enough, she slipped through and stepped into the large room.

The shadows greeted her on her passages, dancing around her at a reasonable distance. At each step, Helena's cell became clearer and clearer, and Kiera let out a deep sigh of relief when she saw the mage asleep, alone. She lowered the size of the flames in her hand not wanting to disturb her sleep and close the distance to the cell to see her face.

Helena's features were almost relaxed, unlike the fear and pain they had displayed in Kiera's dream. Oh, she was not completely at peace as the slight folds between her eyebrows showed, but rather disconnected. Temporarily sheltered from the rest of the world, hidden in the unconsciousness.

The adrenaline was still pumping into Kiera's veins, chasing all traces of fatigue, so she sat in front of the cell waiting for her eyes to fight again to stay open. The flames in her hand now lit barely more than embers, remnants of a fiery fire asleep, and gave Helena's face an ethereal, sublime look. Kiera left her eyes drifting on the pale skin, and her mind once again played the nightmare she had.

Kiera soon found herself staring at the tall body in front of her. She felt a little guilty about taking advantage of the mage's sleep to observe her without her knowledge, but she simply could not detach her gaze from her. Even when lost between dream and nightmare, Kiera felt like she was seeing an angel.   
The long pale gold hair she guessed as soft as feathers stretched under Helena like wings, ready to take her far away from here. Her long, thin fingers, as deadly as they were tender, held her wounded arm firmly against her chest, to protect it and find an anchor against the land where her mind was lost. Kiera let her eyes wander higher, detailing Helena's strong shoulders, the sharp line of her jaw, until they landed on her slightly apart lips. 

Kiera forgot how to breathe for a moment in front of this scene. Despite the days spent in Wolfson's dungeon, her lips were still colored in a seductive dark, and somewhere in the depths of her mind, Kiera wondered if Helena was wearing makeup or if it was their natural color. 

Suddenly, the semblance of peace in which the mage had been until then was troubled, and a rictus of fear and pain distorted his face, before leaving as quickly as it came.   
Kiera sighed with empathy. Even in her sleep, Helena was never completely free of pain... She wanted to get up, open the door and kiss the mage until she drove away any fear from her mind, she wanted to take her away from all this, away from this war, and make sure that every negative expression on Helena's face was replaced by the sweet smile she had witnessed during their card game...

Kiera realized what she was thinking and shook her head... Of all the living people of this world and her own, she had to have the biggest crush of her life on a woman who had tried to kill her several times! And yet, this realization provoked an enthusiastic joy in Kiera. Her feelings were completely illogical, and yet Kiera was intrigued by the mage. She was convinced that Helena could change, and she was eager to discover what treasure she would find hidden in her heart. 

Kiera left this question on hold and let her mind wander until it played once again the nightmare she had. 

She was scared, so scared for Helena. It was only a few days since she learned to know the mage, and she was already very attached to her. The battle the day before and the dream all made it astonishingly clear to her that Kiera could not bear the thought of Helena being hurt. But this realization came with a question: what to do now?

Helena was still a prisoner of Wolfson, and her future was very uncertain. If the Witch Queen found her, death would surely be the best ending, and if they succeeded in defeating evil once more, Helena would probably be judged for her crimes and sentenced to death.

How could Kiera protect her from these fates? Was it even worth it? It was clear that she wanted to be with Helena, and she accepted that, but she wasn’t sure what the sleeping beauty in front of her wanted. A week ago, the answer would have been indisputable, but now... After her hesitation in the main room, her kindness when Kiera came to see her, and the attack... the American didn't know anymore.

Helena shuddered and curled up a little more on the straw mattress, clutching her wounded arm nearer against her chest. Kiera shuddered in empathy, even without the presence of the Witch Queen, the room was cold, and Helena had nothing more to cover herself than her dirty with torn sleeves clothes.

Kiera mentally slammed her head for not noticing earlier the lack of supplies in the cell. She had been in one of them once, she should have known it was cold and that the nights were an ordeal without a blanket.

She looked at the keys in her hand, and then at Helena's sleepy face. She didn’t want to take the risk of letting the squeaking of the door wake her up. After the events of the previous day, Helena deserved to rest as much as she could. But she couldn't let Helena freeze to death either.

With a firm nod of the head, Kiera put the keys next to her and got up. Altea had taught her the basics of teleportation, and although she had not yet mastered this field well enough to travel long distances with a snap of fingers, she had already managed to cross the training ground by using runes.

The stone floor of the prison was too clean to draw anything, but the burnt end of the extinguished torches offered a good replacement. Kiera kneeled and began to trace the circles and lines that Altea had her learn by heart. The hours and hours they had spent playing ‘walk the circle’ had borne fruit, and Kiera got up, satisfied with her work.

She placed herself at the center of the rune and focused. She exhaled deeply and cleared her mind until there was nothing left but her destination, on the other side of the bars. She closed her eyes and repeated the words she had chosen for this spell.

Magic whired around her, like a breath of fresh wind, and when Kiera opened her eyes, she saw the gentle face of Helena still asleep before her without the obstacle of iron bars.

Ha! A+ for the sorcerer’s apprentice!

Kiera detached the cloak from her shoulders and laid it on Helena's tall body. The mage stopped shaking but didn’t wake up. She mumbled something in a language that Kiera did not understand and squeezed the cloak a little closer to her with a sigh of contentment. Kiera looked at the blond-hair woman burying her nose in the fabric of the hood, and she felt a blush climbing on her cheeks. Strangely, she was feeling much warmer now.

She stayed there for a while just watching Helena sleeping before her mind beg her for rest. Using the same method to get out, Kiera picked up the keys and went up to her room where her bed was waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone ! Hope you're fine !  
> I'm really sorry it took me so long to publish this chapter. I had a lot of work lately (added to my dysfunctional laptop), and to be honest, I think I lost my self-confidence without admitting it :/  
> But when I found my way back here and read this fic again without having each and every bad parts in mind, I realized it wasn't as bad as I though   
> I don't know if I will publish again soon, but I hope I will :)
> 
> BD99, if you read this, thank you for your advice, they were really handy ;)


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